Jessabelle
A feminine name derived from the combination of "Jesse" and the French "belle", meaning "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the first name Jessabelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jessabelle today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jessabelle births was 2020 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jessabelle. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
126
~ 1 in 2,720,273 Americans
Peak year
2020
22 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2023 SSA rank
#14,181
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Jessabelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jessabelle from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 83 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jessabelle remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jessabelle by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jessabelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jessabelles live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jessabelle
The given name Jessabelle finds its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, with roots tracing back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Hebrew name Yishai, which means "gift of God" or "God's gift." It is believed to have emerged during the biblical era, as evidenced by its appearance in the Old Testament.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Jessabelle can be found in the Book of Samuel in the Bible, where it refers to Jesse, the father of King David. Although Jessabelle is the feminine form of the name, its origin is directly linked to this biblical figure.
Throughout history, the name Jessabelle has undergone various spelling variations, including Jesabel, Jessabel, and Jessabella, among others. These variations reflect the influence of different languages and cultures, as the name traveled across regions and continents.
Interestingly, the name Jessabelle also holds a connection to the ancient Phoenician civilization, which was known for its maritime trade and exploration. In Phoenician culture, the name was associated with the goddess Astarte, who was revered as the goddess of love, fertility, and war.
The earliest recorded example of a person bearing the name Jessabelle can be traced back to the 12th century. Jessabelle of Brittany, born in 1185, was a Duchess of Brittany and is remembered for her role in the feudal conflicts of her time.
Throughout the centuries, several notable figures have carried the name Jessabelle. One such individual was Jessabelle Rayner Parry (1860-1949), a British writer and social activist known for her contributions to the women's suffrage movement.
Another prominent figure was Jessabelle Fenton (1805-1880), an American author and educator who played a significant role in promoting education for women in the United States during the 19th century.
In the realm of literature, Jessabelle Reyes (1937-2017) was a renowned Filipino writer and poet, celebrated for her works that explored themes of love, loss, and identity.
Jessabelle Treherne (1820-1906), an Australian botanist and naturalist, made significant contributions to the study of flora in her native country, with several plant species named in her honor.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals who have carried the name Jessabelle throughout history, spanning different eras, cultures, and fields of expertise.
People
Jessabelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jessabelle as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jessabelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jessabelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 126 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jessabelle going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,720,273 US residents.
Is Jessabelle a common name?
We classify Jessabelle as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 127 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jessabelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Jessabelle was 2020, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jessabelle is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jessabelle in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jessabelle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jessabelle in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jessabelle still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jessabelle in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jessabelle can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Jessabelle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.